Film holder



E. J. LEWIS Oct. 7, 1952 FILM HOLDER Filed March 3. 1948 zii t MJU/zeg,

Patented Oct. 7,` 1952 oNrrE-D snr/rs l OFFICE The invention -zrelates to afholder for lmfand @other -rlight :sensitive material, and f-partcularly -oncerns the original containerfin which :the bulk Viilm is supplied.

Films for photographic purposes `are usually "Wound fvvithin cartridges which permit "18, 1,20 or :36 exposures necessitating Ea film Ylength of :re-

I`spectively 27,` 30 and 54,inches. .'Iheseicartridges` `Ilovvever, this method hasV its Yserious drawbacks" fsince the 'transfer of iilmportions onto `ther-cair- "tridgesrrequires the useof` a darkroom.

'lIf a "fpanchromatic lm 'is employed, `-no light `useful forpractical purposes can be usedtso-that 4the disassembly of th'ecartridge` andithe `winding vof the `film 'thereon "and its `reassembly-:huist @be "carried `out -in almost total darkness #rendering 4the transfer of the lm very diiiicultand 'time wasting.

fAgaini-n color lm no light whatever 'may be r' usedso that'the various'steps for transferringthe 'lm must be carried out intotaldarkness.

`It is, "therefore, the fprincipal objectofthe in- 'venti'on to pack rthebulk reel :in such :manner that the `unwindiiig of a predetermined length rof lm from th'e bulk reel and the Winding of the iilm onto a spool in acartridge can be carried out in broad daylightandwithout the use of a dark room. y V

It is a further Vobject-to provide-'a container for the original lpacking of `bulk-.film having Atwo' compartments, one for the re-ceptionzofr-a :bulk reel and the other for the reception of a cartridge, said compartments being in communication by a slot through which the freeend of the fllmf the bulk spool -is threaded and adapted to besfcued to the spool in the cartridge for winding thereon.

It is a further object to provide means extraneous to the container for turning the spool in the cartridge for Winding iilm portions thereon so that the sensitized lm is not exposed to light during the transfer from the bulk spool to the cartridge.

With these and other important objects in view which will become apparent from a disclosure of the invention, the latter comprises the means defscribed `in fthe following specification, fparticularlyvpointedoutin the-claims forming afpar-t thereof, and illustrated in the drawing, .-in which:

4"Fi-g. lfis a perspective viewfof a-lmV holder conistructed inI accordance withmy invention..

Fig 2 `is 'an `"enlarged longitudinal section through :the*ho1der.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the"holderwith the cover removed. I

Figiisa viewsimilar to Fig. 4, and

Fig.'6 isa-perspective viewfofa-key.

Referring to 'the several views of the drawing, theliold'erfor'the original packaging of bulk lm generally designated `by III :isa box like structure comprising i'a "bottom 1AWall 'I I,:end Walls I2, and sidewalls "I3. `Jfrre'ctangula-r box I4 openat the top and bottom fits Within the .boxr I 0 and extends there'above A cover I5fflts over the boX I4 to `close the `-s'a'xne. vAhorizontalpartition "I6 is providedwithin thebox "I4 adjacent to the `upper 'end of'box I-'4to denecompartments I1 and I8. Thelpartition I6 does'not quite extend to the left endwall I21'a's`vi`ewe'din Fig.3 to leave a spaceor SlotIB'fo'r -apurposehereinafter explained and is 1bent downwardly-'as at 20. A layer of felt 2l overlies the left'endofthepartition I'Gand covers the portionf`20 of the-partition. The left end Wall of V`box Illias viewed lin Fig. 4` has a tongue I2a struck out at the tim.N

*A vertical partition i2i2 extends-transversely in tlieicmpartmexit Patri-ear the left wall thereof to de'fieliainbers '23 and "2'4. The partition y2i. :has la semi-circular out oiit por-tion Y25.

Areelf rryinfg"film 'infbulk is hplacedintl'ie vcc'g'rrfpa'rtriient fw iamiftne "111m lead 21 extends jthroug'h theslt "I 9 land-'projects into the chambe`r'23.

Whenitfis-'dsird to "transfer a predetermined length of Ailhfi he7cover `f5 is removed andthe Inim fleet 21 isiseeured to the spool in menar- `tridgef28 in 'the "el'abr 23 las `Will lbe "readily understood Iby 'those versed lin theart. Thereaftfer 'thefc er isfplacedonthe box. -Thefcbver 'aiidthe'sidetalrf'box lalareeachfprovidedtvitn an opening 33 and 3l respectively, which are s-o arranged that they register with the longitudinal axis of the cartridge and a cross pin 32.

A key 33 having a slotted stem 311 and a knob 35 is inserted through the openings 30 and 3I until the cross pin 32 is received in the slotted stem. l

Thereupon the key is turned to impart rotation to the spool on which thereby a length of film 3B from the reel 26 is wound.

Indications or legends may be placed on the box I to inform the user how many turns of the spool in the cartridge are necessary to wind a desired length of iilm thereon.

-Thereafter the cover is lifted and the film 35 cut at the cartridge which latter may be removed and used for photographic purpose.

It is evident that the use of a dark room is thereby obviated.

The tongue l2a facilitates the handling of the cartridge and the cut out portion of partition 25 facilitates grasping of the cartridge.

The chamber 24 serves as a storage place forv additional cartridges 28.

It is, of course, understood that the particular construction of the box is only indicated b way of illustration and may be varied.

The drawing illustrates one embodiment of the invention.

Numerous changes and alterations may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I, therefore, do not limit myself to the details of construction and arrangement of parts, as shown, but include all modifications, revisions, and re-arrangements which fairlyfall within the scope ofthe invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A merchandising and storage package for wound bulk photographic'lm which is to be Ithreaded into magazines without exposure to light, said package comprising a box vhousing the bulk iilm, partition means in said box to confine said lm and shield thesame from light and dividing said box into two adjoining upper compartments one of which constitutes a magazine-loading compartment and includes a sidewall of the box, a movable tab portion in said sidewall providing an access opening into said loading compartment for manipulation of a magazine therein, means in said box defining a lightproof nlm-threading passage for leading thebulk iilm past said partition means intol said magazine compartment, cover means for said box to fit over said tab and close said magazine compartment, at least, and a magazine-winding device insertible into said magazine compartment for engagement with a magazine therein.

2. A merchandising package for reeled bulk photographic film and including a box, ar cover telescoping upon the box, insert partition means positioned in the box dividing the same into a l,

light-tight lower storage compartment for the bulk film and upper compartment opening outwardly of the box at the top thereof, said partition means including an elongated linear oiset extension at an end thereof spaced closelyvopposite an inner sidewall of the box, said extension spaced from said inner sidewall to provide a nlm-threading passage from said lower compartment into said upper compartment, means secured to said extension and providing a light seal for said passage, further partition means dividing said-upper compartment into a magazine-loading chamber and a magazine-storage chamber, said cover and box having registerable spindle-openings for passage of a magazinewinding spindle into said loading chamber when the cover is tted on the box.

3. A construction according to claim 2 in which said loading compartment adjoins a sidewall of the box having a yieldable tab movable Vfor access to a magazine in said loading compartment for manipulation of the magazine, said tab being shielded by said cover fitted in closed relation with said box.

4. 'A construction according to claim 3 in which said further partition means is opposite said tab and is cut away crosswise of the box to provide a relieved access portion opposite said tab to facilitate manipulation of a magazine relative to the loading chamber.

5. An article of manufacture in the form of an original sales package of bulk photographiclm contained in a throw-away box, said package comprising a box of cheap, expendible, lightproof material of the class of cardboard and having an internal depth substantially greater than a predetermined diameter of a roll of bulk iilm adapted to be c-ontained in said box as packaged merchandise, said box having a cardboard par.-

tition member fitted into the box and dividing lthe same into a shallow, horizontal upper compartment, open at the top of the box, and a relatively deeper and closed lower compartment, said lower compartment being of a depth to receive said bulk film and being closed off by said partition, and the latter forming the floor for the upper compartment, and meeting part but not all of the inside wall surfaces of said box, means in said box including an offset tongue on said partition defining a narrow, light-obstructing film passage leading past` said partition at the point where it does not-meet the inside wall surface, as aforesaid, for movement of iilrn from the lower to the upper compartment, a cover for said box and including pendant sidewall portions fitting over said top of the box in overlapping light-blocking relation with wall portions of said box bordering said upper compartment, and closing off the latter, a pendant sidewall portion of said cover and a sidewall portion of said upper compartment having registerable openings for passage of a magazine winding spindle into said upper chamber when the cover is closed, said upper compartment being 'of a depth to receive a magazine to be loaded from said bulk film,l and said box being adapted to be discarded when the supply of bulk film is eX- hausted.

- EMANUEL J. LEWIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATE-s PATENTS Name Date 

